Sign-composing device



7 1,62 15 May 1927' 1.. A. GRAHAM ET AL 68 SIGN \COMPOSING DEVICE Fil p 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l W M @mmQglg I llll@] {x Illlllllll 11 I M ii May 1927' 1.. A. GRAHAM ET AL SIGN COMPOSING DEVICE Fil p 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS A. GRAHAM, 0F EVANSTON, AND CHARLES L. LOW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SIGN-COMPOSING DEVICE.

Application filed September 15, 1926. Serial No. 185,520.

This invention relates to sign composing devices of the class in which areemployed a number of individual objects of any desirable geometrical form, Hereinafter referred.

sage or visual effect desired to be produced.

The invention is applicable to sign composing devices where the visual effect roduced results from light transmitted through a field and composing elements which are of ditlcrent degrees of translucency as well as to devices in which light is reflected from one or both of the contrasting parts, or to devices in which the visual effect is produced mainly or wholly by composing elements consisting of individual light sources; and the seats or other positioning means may be varied to suit any particular type of composing element employed, or even be adapted to receive different types of composing element alternatively, for instance, they may be in the form of depressions, cages or the like, which will receive spheres of colored glass. or a socket to receive an incandescent light bulb or the socket and seat may be combined in a way that either of said elements may be placed in it alterna tively.

A serious objection tosign composin' devices of the aforesaid kind, has arisen mm the fact that the seats or positioning means, necessarily of a nature that will adapt them to resist displacement of the composing elements in all directions in the plane of the field, have been equally spaced one from another in both longitudinal and transverse dircctions of the field so that when it became necessary to locate the elements in a manner to develop upon the field, a line at an angle to the two said directions or in positions approximating a curve, the angular ott'set from those elements placed in a vertical or horizontal line, was necessarily on a true diagonal, or'at an angle of which because of excessive spacing from other elements in the diagonal line and divergence from lines conventionally used, so ill v simulated the outline desired as to detract-largely from the effectiveness of the composition and necessitate resort to various distortions, particularly in forming letters of the. alphabet using inclined line's and curves. The positioning means cannot be arbitrarily placed with a view to properly locating composing elements to define the lines of a specific design because this would develop improper spacing between some of the elements lying in horizontal or vertical lines, "and therefore defeat the availability of the field as a means for setting up any and every design at will.

The object of the present invention to remedy the defect above referred to and particularly to provide means whereby an and all parts of a composition field of the kind stated, will be available to receive composing elements and symmetrically space them, not only in horizontal and vertical lines, or lines diverging at 90, and in diagonal lines, or lines of 45; to the horizontal and vertical, but also in lines diverging on either side of the vertical, at angles much less than 45 or above and below the horizontal, at angles much greater than 45, and therefore in directions which are more commonly encountered in composing letters of thealphabet, for instance, angular letters such as-A, K, V and Y or those normally involving curves and conventionally. delineated on composition signs, by a series of short angular deflections. To this end the present invention proceeds upon the principle of providing, upon the field, a plurality of individual positioning means which are located as heretofore in respective horiin refer to as cardinal lines or lines in cardinal di-rections,the lines in one direction being located at what I shall herein term the primary distance apart or with primary spacing, for example, spacing corresponding approximately to the diameter of theelements or at some distance which brings the elements into delineating relation to one another in said lines, the lines in the other direction being located a secondary distance apart or with subspacing. This construction affords a field of positioning means arranged in rows which are spaced apart a predetermined distance, such as primary distance above referred to, and with the positioning means in each row spaced apart a distance which is a fraction of the primary distance, or subs aced, the subspace being preferably one-hal of the primary spacing, so that in till locating the element in a line diverging from a cardinal line and while ofi'setting it a "full or primary space in one direction, for example vertically, it need be offset but a fraction of such a space horizontally, with the result that the angle of the diverging line is materially different from that of the diagonal and the distance in said line from one element to another is not so materially greater than the primary spacing'in the cardinal lines, as to detract from the appearance, and the delineation, especially if the character he a' letter, will contormmuch more closely to the conventional. For example, if in forming the letter A, the composing elements can be offset one from another the distance of a. primary or full space vertically, and a secondary or sub-space horizontally, the result will be lines at angles of 26%; to the vertical or 53 to each other, instead of 45 to the vertical or 90 to each other, and a,

letter quite close to the conventional form of the letter A will be attained; and this will be accomplished without losing the 45 position or full space offset in both cardinal directions, for instances in which it may be needed. Similarly those letters of the alphabet involvingcurves for which short angular deflections are substituted, may be very much more closely simulated by using sub-spaced positioning means in defining the angular deflectionsthat is to say, by arranging the necessary elementsin horizontal and vertical lines and in a series of deflections. each defined by a full space vertically offset and a half space horizontally offset to the right hand or to the left, according to the direction to be given to the line, and until the desired outline is attained.

This adaptation of the field for offsetting an element in less than the full space horizontally does not detract fromiits eilicicncy in locating the elements with full spacing or confinement of an element against displacement in any direction for the reason that the seats, geometrically considered, consist in cavities or parts of cavities which. while particularly designed to fit the element. are so overlapped on one another in the direction of sub-spacing that portions of the Walls in said direction are eliminated by intersection, but sutficient of the vertical dimension of the wall nevertheless remains, to resist displacement of the element in said direction but without interfering with the overhanging of the element when it is seated in the sub-spacing or intermediate position. This will readily be comprehended with the preferred embodiment of the invention herein selected for illustration, wherein the com posing elements are spheres and the seats are sectors of spheres overlapping or intersecting in the direction of horizontal lines "but left fully spaced and therefore not overlapping in vertical lines; but it is obvious that aeaaeie the same principle would apply if cylindrical sockets were employed to receive the threaded bases of incandescent lamps, so long as the diameter of the basic cylinder defining the socket is such as to leave substantial portions of the walls, suflicientto embrace the lamps; and the same effect might even be produced with still smaller portions of embracing walls, for instance, pins locatedat the intersections of the sector-shaped seats and at such other points conforming to the exterior surface of the composing element as may be found desirable.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l-is a plan view of a composing device constructed in accordance with the present invention and in which a portion of an outer transparent wall employed for confining the elements in their seats, is broken away to disclose the construction within;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2*2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of a composing field embodying the device of the present invention and upon which the location of composing elements is suggested by the broken line circles; I

' Figure t is a section on the line P- l of Figure 3;

Figures 5 and 6 are views corresponding substantially to Figures 3 and 4 showing an embodiment of the invention in which thc seats or positioning means are suitable for the reception of composing elements in the nature of light sources, to-wit: incandescent electric lamps; and

Figure 7' is a section on the line 7*-7 of Figure 5,

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, 1 represents a composing field provided on its surface with an area of symmetrically disposed positioning means 2, which in the particular embodiment under discussion. are in the form of seats or cavities designed on the basis of sectors of a sphere; and 3 represents composing elements which, in this particular embodiment, are in the form of glass spheres which will preferably be translucent and of a distinguishing color appropriate to lend a desired light effect to the composition when in use. Seats 2 are spaced in the vertical direction or direction perpendicular to the reading line, such distance as will adapt them to receive and properly correlate. both as to spacing and alignment, any desired number of elements 3; but they are spaced in horizontal direction or the direction of reading. in a manner which will not only tlCCOIlllllO- date the composing elements in alignment and adapt the desired spacing, but in positions intermediate those occupied in regular spacing so that a composing element may be located in such intermediate position when the intermediate receiving space is suiliciently remote from an occupied space on either side. That lltltl Mill is to sa the spacing of the seats in a horizontal irection is such that an element may be located in a position which, while offset a full space vertically from an element in another line, will be offset therefrom only a half space horizontally with theresult that instead of the two elementsm question being in a line which is at an angle of 45 degrees to the vertical, which would be the case where the offsetting is equal to a full space horizontally as well as vertically, they are in a line which is only 26 to the ,vertical or at an angle the tan ent of which is substantially 0.5, which one les the composition to simulate much, more closely the lines of conventional characters used in s )elling words, expressing numbers, etc. his will be readil appreciated upon comparison of the line Al which runs through a vertical ali nment of' seats in Figure 3, with the line Cl) that runs through a series of seats offset progressively a full space downward and a half space, each, to the/right, and the value of this circumstance in forming a letter such, for instance, as the letter A where both sides are inclined, will be appreciated by comparing the line CD in Figure 1 with the line CD thereof which, it will be seen, are at an angle of 53 one to the other and closely similar to the angular relation conventionally adopted for the sides of the letter A. Another advantage arising from the half space offsetting in one direction is that the resulting space between angularly related composing elements is materiallyless than when the relative angle in 45, and in fact so little different from a spacing of approximate contact in the vertical and horizontal lines asto he hardly noticeable in sign composing, and particularly where transmitted light is used, as a result of either translucency of the field and composing elements or generation in the elements themselves.

Figures 5, 6 and i show the application of the invention to a composing field adapted to receive composin elements in the form of electric light bul is. Here, the positioning means or seats, in the form of threaded sockets 2 which are basically cylinders of proper dimension to receive the plugs or bases 3 of light sources 3', are nevertheless lapped one upon the other, geometrically speaking, to an extent that eliminates walls which might otherwise lie laterally between them but leaves, nevertheless, suflicient of their walls to embrace and supply electric conductors for the lamp plugs and thereby adapted as in the case of the spherical sector-seats, to receive and locate composing elements (in this instanceclectric bulbs) not only with spacing that will establish a continuous line of lights, but with sub-spacing or in positions intermediate oithe positions or? full spacin so that when there is no lamp near enough on either side to prevent, ,t e lamp may be introduced into a sub-spaced seat. In other words, byequipping a field such as that shown in Figure 1, with positioning'means such as shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7, it will serve as a composing field for locating electric lamps in lines horizontal, lines vertical, and lines at angles of 26 on either side'of the vertical, because the seats are spaced full distance in vertical direction and only half the distanee in the horizontal direction. In the arrangement shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7, strip conductors 4 may be located upon the back of the diaphragm 5 of di-electric material upon which the composing field is de velopec. Such strips may be arranged in any manner suitable for grouping the de sired number of lamps in multiple or in series or in accordance with any approved system of electrical distribution, having for its purpose to interrupt or determine the periods during which lamps or different groups thereof will glow in-accordance with the established practise of operating electric signs. 'It will be obvious that it is immaterial whether the sub-spacing of seats or positioning means be in lines running vertically or horizontally, and it will also be obvious that with the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, sub-spacing may be resorted to in both cardinal directions without departing from the spirit of the invention.

From the foregoing it will be seen that whereas it has heretofore been proposed to provide a sign composing device having the features of a composing field equipped with positioning means through which individual composing elements may be aligned at will in either of two cardinal directions at 90 divergence, and with uniform primary spacing so related to the dimensions of the composing elements as to cause such elements, when properly grouped, to appear as lines in a configuration. also in directions diagonal. or bi-secting the angle of divergence of said cardinal directions, and with uniform but materially greater spacing in said diagonal direction which said excessive spacing and angle, by reason of remoteness from those entering into conventional sign forming characters. are of little value, the present invention while preserving all of the above named features, contemplates, additionally, the use in at least those lines running in one cardinal direction, of additional, or intermediate. or sub-spaccd positioning means at points which subdivide the primary spaces into equal parts so that in locating composing elements in angular directions, they may be offset from other elements of the design a full space in one cardinal direction and a fraction of a space in the other, such direction and thereby develop lines'angularly related at a greatly less degree than 45 (for instance 26 /2) and the spacing of elements in said angular direction, which is not sufficiently greater than that of the elements in the cardinal directions to detract from good appearance; and in preferred embodiments of the invention, particularly the two herein selected for illustratiom the invention specifically contemplates, though it is by no means limited thereto, an arrangement of seats of a nature adapted to embrace the composing element against displacement in any direction in the plane of the field of composition and with those seats which are in lines involving sub-spacing, geometrically overlapped or intersected but of such dimension that notwithstanding their lapping one upon another, sutticient of their walls remain to embrace the composing elements.

A good material from which to produce the composition field 1 in that form of the invention which is shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, is glass, at least translucent glass, and even transparent glass, if desired, and of such color, for instance, milky white, as will afford a strong contrast with the composing elements, for instance glass spheres of any contrasting color or colors; the glass field 1 being molded in substantially the form shown, with marginal walls 6 covered by a plate of transparent glass 7 overlying the composing elements 3 closely enough to hold them in their seats. Transparent plate 7 and composing field 1 may beseparably secured together by means of a frame 8 of U-shaped section en'ihracing the meeting marginal portions of three sides of the said members. With such an arrangement a light source placed at the back of the sign will produce a very brilliant and attractive effect and thus better adapt the sign to serve its purpose.

I claim:

1. A sign composing device comprising individual composing elements and a composition field having distributed over its area a plurality of rows of individual positioning means constructed to receive said composing elements, the positioning means in each row being spaced apart a distance less than the overall dimension of said composing elements and aligned in the direction transverse to said rows with the positioning means in the other rows.

2. In a sign composing device, composing elements, and a composing field having distributed over its area horizontal rows of individual positioning means constructed to receive said composing elements, said rows of individual positioning means being spaced apart approximately the dimension of the said composing elements, the individual positioning means in each row being positioned in overlapping relation and with the distance between centers less than the distance between adjacent rows and aligned vertically with the positioning means of the other rows.

Ina sign composing device, composing elements consisting of spheres of distinctive appearance, and a composition field consisting of a plurality of lines of seats, respectively adapted to receive the individual composing elements and substantially conforming to sectors thereof; the lines of seats being spaced a distance greater than the diameters of the spheres, the seats in said lines being spaced halt the distance between the lines.

4. In a sign composing device, composing elements consisting of spheres of distinctive appearance, and a composition field consisting of a plurality of lines of seats, respectively adapted to receive the individual composing elements and substantially conforming to sectors thereof; the lines of seats being spaced a distance greater than the dialneters'of the spheres, the seats in said lines being spaced half the distance between the lines, and the spacing being such that the seats in the lines geometrically lap upon one another.

5. In a sign composing device, composing elements, and a composition field having distributed over its area positioning means individually constructed to receive and embrace the individual composing elements, said positioning means being arranged in alignment in both directions to form rows of positioning means along intersecting lines, the distance between the rows of positioning means along lines in one direction being less than the distance between rows of positioning means along lines in the other direction and so proportion'ed relative to the size of the positioning means that the positioning means forming rows along lines in said first direction overlap the next adjacent row.

6. A sign composing device comprising a composition field having distributed over its area a plurality of rows of individual positioning means constructed to receive said composing elements, the positioning means of each row being aligned with the positioning means of the other rows and so spaced in each row relative to the distance between rows that the line connecting the centers of one positioning means and the one aligned therewith in the next adjacent row forms an angle, the tangent of which is substantially 0.5 with the line connecting the centers of said first named positioning means and the one next adjacent the one aligned with said first named positioning means and in the next adjacent row.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 10th day of September, 1926.

LOUIS A. GRAHAM. CHARLES L. LOW.

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